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The story of Vestaria, featuring our six cats, drifted into my head one day from an ethereal place. The kingdom ruled by these six Katoeans is invaded by the dragon Diamonsteneez. Queen Isabella is assisted by Pumpkin, the commander of the army and the castle guard.

When Pumpkin was still a kitten, he was left alone after his mother died after being hit by a car. We took him when he was four months old so Isabella could have a friend. She quickly took to him, and they became pals, chasing each other back and forth down the hallway.

Pumpkin took charge of guarding the house by whacking anyone who was unfamiliar. He made sure they knew he was in charge. With us, he was lovable and would cuddle and purr while we petted him. When he was six years old, he was diagnosed with a thyroid issue. The vet told us we could treat him by giving him medicine daily for the rest of his life. Or, we could take him to a place called Radio Cat, where they would treat him with radiation. That option would be a one-time treatment, but he would have to be there for two weeks, then a week in isolation when we brought him home. We decided on the Radio Cat treatment.

Pumpkin was great. He weathered the treatment with no ill effects and was glad to be heading home when I went and got him. He dealt with the isolation and was happy to be free at the end of a week. During that time, we had to use a special litter that could be flushed, and we couldn’t spend much time with him due to the radiation from his body.

After his Radio Cat treatment, he was fine until he reached seventeen years old, at which time he started to have kidney issues. I had to take him and Isabella to the vet three times a week for fluids. That kept both of them well for months.

Updated October 11, 2026